Samsung SyncMaster C23A550U review

The C23A550U may have a number of useful features, but its image quality is less impressive. It has a bright and even LED backlight but while the matte coating reduces reflections, it robs colours of much of their impact, leaving them flat and dull. The screen’s poor viewing angles don’t help, either.

Samsung has attempted to make up for this with its Magic settings, which include presets for Movies and Games, but we’d avoid the Sharpness control, which just added graininess to the image. Choosing a Magic preset disables all other controls, so you have to select the Custom option if you want to tweak the image to your preference.

The C23A550U’s USB dock connection may appeal to laptop owners who want to reduce clutter, but for £150 less you could buy the superior ViewSonic VA2448-LED and spend the savings on a dedicated dock.